1. Field
The following description relates to a heat pump improving seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, research into on a heat pump type boiler having higher coefficient of performance (COP) than a conventional fuel burning type boiler is underway.
A heat pump type boiler uses outdoor thermal energy to heat an indoor space, and has excellent energy efficiency, as compared to the conventional fuel burning type boiler or electric heater. If the heating load of a heated space deviates from the heating performance range of a heat pump of the heat pump type boiler, COP of the heat pump is rapidly lowered due to characteristics of the heat pump providing heating by circulating a refrigerant through a compressor.
Moreover, even if the heating load of the heated space is within the heating performance range of the heat pump, COP of the heat pump is lowered by repetition of the on/off operation of the compressor of the heat pump. That is, in case of heating through the heat pump, after outdoor thermal energy is absorbed by the refrigerant and is then supplied to circulation water, the circulation water supplies thermal energy to the heated space, and thus the temperature of the heated space is slowly varied according to change of the frequency of the compressor of the heat pump. Therefore, the heat pump operates the compressor at the maximum operating frequency, and thereby, thermal energy larger than the heating load of the heated space is supplied and the on/off operation of the compressor is repeated.
Such on/off operation of the compressor lowers the COP of the heat pump, and particularly lowers seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) representing the mean COP of the heat pump for a required period.